Ramaphosa cannot just let anybody in to the cabinet, Zille tells ANC

ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula and DA federal council chair Helen Zille seem to be at odds about the conditions of government of national unity (GNU) agreements. 

Mbalula signalled that he was confident the ANC would able to make certain decisions without the DA’s buy-in. 

“The DA does not have the veto power. The threshold of 60% is of all the parties that will participate, when you constitute a government and you talk about 60% and political parties broadly that participate,” Mbalula said. 

He was speaking to journalist Clement Manyathela on the #FaceTheNation show on SABC. 

“The determination of the decisions are taken in the cabinet, at the end of the day. A single political party cannot stop the operations of the executive unless institutionalised and reflected in the constitution of the country.”

Zille disagreed with Mbalula, saying there would be a need for consensus among GNU parties about cabinet decisions and adding new partners to the unity government.

Earlier this week the ANC announced that the GNU consisted of five parties including the DA, IFP, the GOOD party and the PA.

“We will represent at least 30% of the seats in the GNU. Without the DA, the ANC can’t reach 60% of the seats in the National Assembly occupied by the GNU parties,” Zille said.

“The ANC can’t bring people in that they feel like bringing in. This is another thing Fikile doesn’t seem to understand, because it says that in keeping with the spirit of an inclusive GNU, it is agreed the composition shall be discussed and agreed among the existing parties whenever new parties desired to be part of the GNU.

“There are three founding members of this: ourselves, the ANC and the IFP. He keeps making public statements about this one’s joined and that one’s joined, but he must read clause 24 [of] the document he signed,” she said.

Mbalula, however, said the ANC would not close doors to parties interested in joining the GNU.

“We don’t close doors to people because they have all of these sort of ideas,” he said. 

Zille also pointed out a need for transparency and consultation in the appointment of cabinet members, stressing that President Cyril Ramaphosa could not unilaterally decide on such matters.

“We have to be consulted. While recognising the president's prerogative to appoint members of the executive, such appointments should be done in consultation with the leaders of the respective parties for other members considered for appointment. So he can’t just let anybody come in. He has to consult with us,” she said.

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